Simulation of Sediment Yield Over Un-gauged Stations Using MUSLE and Fuzzy Model

Abstract

Land and water are two most vital natural resources of the world and hence these resources must be conserved carefully to protect environment to maintain ecological balance. Estimation of runoff and sediment yield is one of the prerequisites for conservation and management of water resources and also for many hydrological applications. The present study has been taken up to predict runoff and sediment yield for a reservoir basin viz. Megadrigedda Reservoir situated in Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, India which is having a drainage area of 363 Sq.km. Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) has been used to estimate the sediment yield. The runoff factors of MUSLE were computed by the measured values of runoff and peak rate of runoff at outlet of the reservoir. Topographic factor (LS) and crop management factor(C) were determined using geographic information system (GIS) and field-based survey of land use/land cover. The conservation practice factor (P) is obtained from the literature. Sediment yield at the outlet of the study reservoir has been simulated for fifteen storm events spread over the period of 2010-2013 and is validated with that of measured values. The resulted coefficient of determination value has been obtained as 0.84 for the study area which indicates that MUSLE model is working satisfactory for the selected basin. Fuzzy logic based model has also been developed to estimate sediment yield. The resulted correlation obtained between Fuzzy logic model and MUSLE model is 0.97 and with that of measured value it is 0.937.